Undoubtedly the most searing story of the week is the double news from Somali pirate waters. One cruising sailor couple from Britain rescued after a horrifying year in the hands of Somali pirates, kept in subhuman conditions and fed on a meagre diet, another long range cruising couple from South Africa disappeared into the murky world of southern Somalia.

A few months after the kidnap of Paul and Rachel Chandler, the world's press received a curious request. Somali pirates were gleeful that the Chandlers had received so much world coverage by the media. To them it meant just one thing – that the ransom they would receive would be concomitantly large. How could the world be so moved by the plight of the Chandlers and not come up with a huge ransom? They didn't understand world voyeurism for what it was, or the British press for how it attracted its readers. Following this request a long period of comparative silence ensued, accompanied by frantic negotiations by the informal group gathered around the family of the Chandlers. It took a long time, but the Chandlers are free, and the only thing we can hope for is that the South African couple will fare better.

I am in Melbourne today to speak at the Boating Industry Association's (BIA) money-raising luncheon at the Sandringham Yacht Club. It's good to see the news this week that the BIA and NSW Maritime are joining to donate 400 inflatable life jackets for sailing instructors. I am glad they are inflatable - it's so hard to make someone wear the old fashioned bulky type!

15-year-old Dutch teenager Laura Dekker, the tortoise of the solo teenage sailors, has touched one Cape Verde Island and is now heading for Sao Nicolau. There she will wait until the end of November before heading across the Atlantic.

This means she will be trailing the 239 yachts which are departing on Sunday on the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC). However, it is estimated that, as well as the 200 or so yachts in the ARC, another 250 cross the Atlantic at this time of year, so, while out of sight mostly, Laura will have plenty of radio company on her first ocean crossing.

The Seven Seas U – the educational arm of the Seven Seas Cruising Association – have started their webinars for November. In Australia some of the times can be difficult unless you're a night owl, but you can check in later for the recording, which is just as good in my view. In either case, it's a great way to up your sailing and seamanship skills.

So much other news as well - among them some other rescues and collisions to learn from, Jesse Martin and the Coral Sea Campaign, a couple of good book reviews (Christmas is getting close), the Trailable Yacht Festival report and the next Sanctuary Cove Boat Show - so scroll down to find the articles that interest you.

Sweet sailing!

Nancy Knudsen, Editor

Paul and Rachel Chandler released after 388 days Cruising Association, Throughout Paul and Rachel's ordeal the Association has kept in close touch with representatives of their families. Soon after Paul and Rachel's capture we were advised that publicity would only encourage hostage-takers to believe their ransom demands would be met and that it would delay Paul and Rachel's release.... [more]Share this story

Chandlers arrive in Britain Sail-World Round-up, Cruising sailors Paul and Rachel Chandler who spent just over a year as hostages of Somali pirates have arrived back in Britain after an undisclosed ransom, reported to be between $300,000 and $1,000,000, was paid to the pirates.... [more]Share this story

Australia sailors rescued from Fiji bound sinking yacht Sail-World.com, NSW Marine Area Command Police have pulled off a challenging rescue in treacherous conditions, 15 hours out to sea, saving a couple from their sinking yacht. At 9.45am today the couple were successfully rescued after their emergency beacon (EPIRB) was activated at 3.15pm yesterday from their 13 metre yacht about 170 nautical miles (325km) east of Wollongong.... [more]Share this story

Book Review: Ultimate Sailing Adventures Sail-World Cruising, What is your favourite sailing adventure dream? Sailing around one of the Great Capes?Cruising up the Amazon or cross the Pacific on a windsurfer? Competing in a Volvo Ocean Race? Battling monster waves off the coast of South Africa or racing around Scandinavian islands on an open cat? These are just some of the 100 extraordinary experiences in new coffee table book Ultimate Sailing Adventures... [more]Share this story

'I would have gone down with my yacht.' Pirate sailor victim tells Plettenberg Bay/Sail-World Cruising, The South African yacht skipper whose crew were kidnapped by Somali pirates last week was willing to 'go down' with his vessel. In a blow by blow account of the traumatic hijacking off the Tanzanian coast on October 26, Peter Eldridge, 61, yesterday explained that he was prepared to sink his yacht, SY Choizil, if the pirates made it their 'mother ship' to rob other vessels.... [more]Share this story

Collision with ship: how we survived Sail-World Cruising/Russell Furlong, Australian Jessica Watson did it last year when she didn't check her horizon, South African Russell Furlong did it when his crew member made the same mistake last week. Watson survived by a miracle, as did the yacht Pontus off the coast of South Africa. As it is so unlikely for a yacht to survive a collision with a ship, doubt had been expressed about the story. Furlong describes what happened:... [more]Share this story

Book of the Week: 'Two's a Crew', now launched Nancy Knudsen, Jack and Jude Binder have traveled the remoter parts of Earth for more than forty years. Travelling to Australia in 1969 they home-built a ferro-cement yacht while starting a family. After three years of really hard work they set sail with the dream of sharing nature and adventure before what seemed mandatory school years for the two small children. They had little sailing experience.... [more]Share this story

Trailable Yacht Festival report Rob Ballard, Trailable Yacht Festival 2010 - Victorian trailable yacht owners enjoyed a sunny weekend at Melbourne's docklands area early this month at the 2010 Trailable Yacht Festival. The Festival was organized by the Trailable Yacht Division of Yachting Victoria and hosted by Docklands Yacht Club. It is the sixth year of the Festival, now an annual event on the Victorian trailable yacht calendar.... [more]Share this story

Dutch teen sailor on her way to the Cape Verde Islands Nancy Knudsen, With her boat Guppy 'crammed full of boxes of food and beverages', Laura Dekker, the 15-year-old Dutch/New Zealander sailor who wouldn't take no for and answer from the Dutch authorities, is on the next leg of her much anticipated circumnavigation - from the Canary Islands to the Cape Verde Island, about a week's sail.... [more]Share this story

Win an Opti for the Kids and One for Club - 8 days left enter now!! Sail-World.com & Powerboat-world.com, The winner of the OziOPti Sail-World competition will receive an OziOpti ‘Regatta Mark IV' GRP racing boat complete valued at AUD$3,950 (or NZ$5,135). AND They will ALSO win for their chosen sailing club an OziOpti ‘Tacker' Poly training boat valued at AUD$2,395 (or NZ$3,200). There will also be prizes of 10 x $100 ‘The Boatyard' vouchers.... [more]Share this story

Record 239 yachts join Atlantic Rally for Cruisers Jeremy Wyatt, With one week to go before the ARC 2010 fleet leave Las Palmas for Rodney Bay in Saint Lucia, crews from the 205 yachts already berthed in the marina took part in the official ARC 2010 Opening Ceremony. The final 34 yachts are expected to arrive in Las Palmas over the next few days, bringing the fleet total to 239 yachts, an all-time ARC record.... [more]Share this story

Jesse Martin joins Coral Sea campaign Nancy Knudsen, Jesse Martin, who sailed into the record books in October 1999 to become the youngest person in history to circumnavigate the globe solo, non-stop and unassisted in his 34ft S&S yacht Lionheart, has become a 'Protect our Coral Sea' Ambassador.... [more]Share this story

A Day in the Life of the Coastguard Nancy Knudsen, 'Bill I thought you could give me a hand with my boat.' 'What Eric? What boat? I didn't know you had a boat.' 'Well I've just bought it and I have to go pick it up and bring it back to Newcastle...and seeing you've had more experience than me...' 'Yes, well that certainly was a great afternoon sailing I had with my son-in-law...learned quite a bit...'... [more]Share this story

Seven Seas Uni- all you need is the desire to learn...and the internet Nancy Knudsen, The Seven Seas November webinars have started up this week, and all you need is a connection to the internet! With today's cutting edge technology SSU instructors can offer webinars (live seminars on the web), allowing participants to actively engage in a class! Remember, if you can't make a webinar live, and some are awkward for Australians, you can still register and watch the recording..... [more]Share this story

'How I was almost pirates' fourth victim.' South African sailor tells Weekend Post/Sail-World, When South African Peter Eldridge asked expatriate Peter Olivier living in Tanzania to accompany him on his yacht to South Africa, he was excited because he wanted to add more miles to his log book, never dreaming that the yacht would end up beached on a Somali shore and its crew captured or swimming for their life.... [more]Share this story

Groundwater threat to rivers worse than suspected CSIRO, In an address to the Groundwater 2010 Conference in Canberra, CSIRO Water for a Healthy Country Flagship scientist, Dr David Rassam, said land-use practices that reduce groundwater recharge into rivers and streams could significantly reduce low flows in nearby rivers and streams.... [more]Share this story

Ronstan investing in Australian manufacturing Brendan Maxwell, While around the world manufacturing is moving from the major industrial countries to Asia, one of the world leaders in the marine industry Ronstan, one of the largest sailing and architectural hardware manufacturers in the world, is in fact expanding manufacturing operations on its home turf.... [more]Share this story

Whitsunday Rent A Yacht launches industry first auction site Toni Lucke, The Whitsundays' longest operating bareboat charter company, Whitsunday Rent A Yacht (WRAY), has launched an online auction site directly targeting holiday makers in a marketing move unique to the bareboat industry.... [more]Share this story

Top life saving organisation gets better yet Lee Mylchreest, The Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue (NSSR), the organisation whose official mascot is Elias the Little Rescue Boat, has purchased its own boat marking company, to assist with its work of uniquely marking every boat in Norway and running a database of the owners and points of first contact in emergencies.... [more]Share this story

Lewmar launches new products for 2011 at METS MarineBusiness-World.com, An impressive array of new products from Lewmar are being launched at METS 2010. You can look at the full PDF right here.... [more]Share this story

Port of Airlie welcomes Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Melanie Roberts, The luxury apartments have been designed to capitalise on their premium waterfront position and will be set in a rich tropical landscape, surrounded by a suite of exclusive boutiques and restaurants.... [more]Share this story

Sanctuary Cove in 2011 - Exhibitor Interest High Kate Duryea, Sanctuary Cove 2011 International Boat Show has attracted more than 130 exhibitor applications within two weeks of bookings opening.... [more]Share this story

The Chandler family speaks of pirate ordeal Scott of California, The Chandler family, the centre of all political and economic pressure during the kidnap of Paul and Rachel Chandler, as well as their own roller coaster grief at the couple's incarceration, have issued the following statement, principally asking for the media and others to respect Paul and Rachel's privacy as they recover from their ordeal... [more]Share this story

Chandlers rejoice, South African sailors to expect 'lengthy ordeal' Nancy Knudsen, While the families of a South African yachting couple kidnapped by pirates and now hostages in southern Somalia have been told to expect a lengthy ordeal, the British sailing couple Paul and Rachel Chandler, just released, are rejoicing after 388 days in captivity.... [more]Share this story

Kidnapped Chandlers released by Somali pirates Sail-World Round-up, Somali pirates have released British cruising sailors Paul and Rachel Chandler today (Sunday) after holding them hostage for more than a year. Somali pirates kidnapped the retired couple on Oct. 23 last year - 388 days ago - after hijacking their 38-foot yacht Lynn Rival in the Indian Ocean off Seychelles.... [more]Share this story

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